


Retired

by deaddoh



Series: Haikyuu Pocket Universes [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hinata Shouyou Can't Play Volleyball, Light Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury, Post-Canon, injured AU, spoilers for chapter 364 and 365
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22168105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaddoh/pseuds/deaddoh
Summary: Hinata really misses playing volleyball, but something is holding him back.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Series: Haikyuu Pocket Universes [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715062
Kudos: 45





	1. Looking Back

**Author's Note:**

> as it turns out, i actually have more time than i thought i did! which mean i get to write more!

“Yeah!” Hinata shouts, seeing the ball fly across the court and slamming down on the other side with a satisfying _thump_. He springs up into the air and is immediately reminded why he _shouldn’t_ be doing that. The former volleyball player groans at the shooting pain in his knee and sits back down, mood effectively dampened.

“You gotta stop doing that.” 

Hinata can hear the frown. “It’s not my fault I get excited!”

“Yeah, it kinda is.” Kageyama finally steps into the living room and sits next to Hinata, slinging an arm over the back of the couch and across the other’s shoulders.

“No, it’s really not.” Hinata sends a faux frown to Kageyama before he returns his attention to the TV. Number ten watches with rapt attention as Karasuno’s blockers send the opponent’s ball back onto their side of the court just as soon the spike went up.

“Do you plan to see a game anytime soon? Instead of watching it on TV like a shut-in.” 

“I do! I just…” Hinata looks down to his mangled knee, feeling sadness creep in.

The two are quiet. The TV shouting as the other team scores back at Karasuno. Hinata looks back to the TV and feels nostalgia creep into the edges of his vision. He sees himself on that court, under all of the bright and hot lights. He sees a spike fly from his palm onto the opposite court. He sees himself send a receive and suddenly stumble, feeling hot and cold at the same time. He sees Takeda-Sensei talking to him and sending him away. He sees himself walking to the clinic, unable to participate due to a fever. He feels a deep-seated annoyance flicker briefly before subduing it again.

He sees himself flying high again and again until he fell wrong. First, he fell with his ankles bent wrong, unprepared for the impact. He fell again with his knees hyper-extended, damaging both the ligaments and bones. All on TV.

“Sorry,” Kageyama mutters, still looking at Hinata’s knee. 

“It’s ok. I was lucky only one of my knees needed surgery.” Hinata mumbles back, keeping his eyes on the screen.

They quiet again. Then Kageyama’s phone distantly starts ringing. The other gets up, “Gotta take that. I’ll be right back.”


	2. Looking Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking back isn't always good, especially when you're trying to move forward.

Hinata frowns as he watches Kageyama roll out a cart of volleyballs on the court. The setter stops it at the end of the net and gestures for Hinata. The other frowns deeper and looks away, trying not to feel the stares of the other people in the gym. Hinata looks up when a shadow falls over him and is met with Kageyama’s rare, but powerful, sad eyes.

“I’m not going.”

Kageyama tilts his head to the side slightly, “Why not?”

“I’ll end up making a fool of myself.”

“Says who?”

Hinata looks away, knowing he lost the argument. He sees others playing and practicing and can’t help but miss the feeling of the volleyball in his hand. He watches two women practice serving and a teenager on the other side try receiving. Number ten’s eyes shift to two teens talking to each other while bumping a ball back and forth.

The spiker sighs and pulls on his brace and Kageyama releases a triumphant shout. The two warm-up, passing a ball to each other, and jumping drills.

“Ready?” Hinata has a ball resting in his palm and Kageyama grins and nods.

Hinata tosses the ball up perfectly, as if he never left the court. The ball has a beautiful arch and Kageyama sets it with precision, just as Hinata is halfway up the net’s height. And, just like a sudden gust, Hinata spikes the ball like it’s a real match. He lands with a soft  _ thud _ and a squeak. The ball rolls across the floor.

Kageyama turns to the other with a grin on his face. “See? You’ve still got it!”

Hinata huffs but can’t help but smile. He feels other people looking at him, trying to remember who he was. He knows the gym is visible to the outside world too. But Hinata can’t find it in himself to care.

“I guess I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realized that this is one of the nicer fics about Hinata no longer being able to play...

**Author's Note:**

> atruetrashcan.tumblr.com  
> ead chapters 364/365 and they gave me the jitters... such a good story!)


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